New Model From Lamborghini Planned for 50th Birthday, Could Preview Next Gallardo

In 1963, Ferruccio Lamborghini left the tractor-building business and made the natural switch to producing sports cars. Now almost 50 years later, the bull brand continues to churn out sheet metal that rivals Maranello’s best. Automotive News reports Lamborghini has a few things in store for its golden anniversary in 2013, including hosting a gathering of Lambos in Italy and a special model debut that could preview the next-gen Gallardo.

Called the Grand Giro Lamborghini, the gathering will be held next May in Milan, and is open to all Lamborghini owners worldwide. Those owners will have to pay their own way to get to Italy, but once they arrive they’ll join a caravan of other Lambos and drive through such scenic Italian destinations as Tuscany, Rome, and Bologna. The convoy’s final destination will be the Lamborghini factory at Sant’Agata Bolognese. To make things easier for Lambo owners, the company has set up a website dedicated to handling the logistics of shipping an Italian exotic back to its homeland. The automaker will also provide a number of support vehicles for the drive to offer roadside assistance to the many finicky supercars in attendance. Because not every Lambo driver has the time or money to get to Italy, the sports car maker says smaller-scale events will be held at every dealer worldwide. In addition to the grand gathering in Italy, Lamborghini will also unveil a special model for its 50th birthday.

“It will not be a revival or retro,” said Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann to Automotive News.

Given that we’re expecting a next-gen Gallardo in 2013, the one-off special could be a concept for a successor to Lambo’s “entry-level” car. That exotic coupe will be based on the new modular MCC platform, which will be shared with the next Audi R8. By moving to the new platform, the Gallardo is expected to shave more than 50 pounds from its curb weight, which should also help in the fuel-economy and acceleration departments. The video below could be further proof that the mystery vehicle is indeed a Gallardo replacement, as the clip shows Lambo officially bidding farewell to the current model.

What enhancements would you like to see on the upcoming Gallardo? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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